Punching machine with selective angularly adjustable punch and die set



Sept. 19, 1967 A. K. S CHOTT'ET AL 3,342,091

PUNCHING MACHINE WITH SELECTIVE ANGULARLY ADJUSTABLE PUNCH AND DIE SET Original Filed Nov. 1, 1960 INVENTORS AFT/V0? K 50 /077 K-m/an/ J. 542744 1/4245; Zea @1410? FIG.

6 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 19, 1967 PUNCHING MACHINE WITH SELECTIVE ANGULARLY ADJUSTABLE PUNCH AND DIE SET Original Filed Nov. 1, 1960 A. K. SCHOTT ET AL 3,342,091 v 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR5 4274 0? K 504 07; {QM/Man J 5422-14 Aw/e4 5.9 Z66 IeOVaLDT 5v W, y W ATTORNEY p 1967 A. K. SCHOTT ET AL 3,

PUNCHING MACHINE WITH SELECTIVE ANGULARLY ADJUSTABLE PUNCH AND DIE SET Original Filed Nov. 1, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTQRS 4 97 70,? K 564 077 /(/V4/7A/ 5427x44 M 44x465 464 lea a407- 5/ M W ATTORNEY Sept. 19, 1967 SCHQTT ET AL 3,342,091

PUNCHING MACHINE WITH SELECTIVE ANGULARLY ADJUSTABLE PUNCH AND DIE SET Original Filed Nov. 1, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR S Jens (4e K 5: 4 ar K m/very 5447-444 (wreass Ase /Q vao7- 4,41%; M, w r4 ATTORNEY Sept. 19, 1967 .K. SCHOTT ET AL 3,342,091

PUNCHING MACHINE WITH SELECTIVE ANGULARLY ADJUSTABLE PUNCH AND DIE SET Original Filed Nov. 1. 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 5]

FIG. 6

' INVENTOR- 4272/02 K 077' film/5rd J 542744 (4448453 165 flan/Q40? 5 Y M @3 0 W ATTORNEY A. K. SCHOTT ET AL 3,342,091 PUNCHING MACHINE WITH SELECTIVE ANGULARLY ADJUSTABLE PUNCH AND DIE SET 1960 Sept. 19, 1967 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Original Filed Nov.

INVENTORB III/m 613 Lee gal/04.07

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,342,091 PUNCHING MACHINE WITH SELECTIVE ANGULARLY ADJUSTABLE PUNCH AND DIE SET Arthur K. Schott, Clarence, Kenneth J. Bartha, Tonawanda, and Charles Lee Rovoldt, Getzville. N.Y., assignors to Houdaille Industries, Inc., Buffalo, N.Y., a corporation of Michigan Original application Nov. 1, 1960, Ser. No. 66,639, now Patent No. 3,225,636, dated Dec. 28, 1965. Divided and this application Apr. 19, 1965, Ser. No. 449,254

17 Claims. (Cl. 83-140) This application is a division of our co-pending application of the same title, U.S. Ser. No. 66,639, filed Nov. 1, 1960 and now Patent No. 3,225,636 issued Dec. 28, 1965.

This invention relates generally to punching machines, and more specifically to an improved punching machine embodying means for angularly aligning non-circular tooling therein.

The present invention contemplates the utilization of a workpiece-supporting table which is vertically adjustable with respect to the punch and die means, the table being provided with gaging structure engageable with adjacent edges of a workpiece. The punching machine of the present invention also includes a novel punch and stripper assembly adapted to accommodate punches of shaped or non-circular cross-section, together with means for orienting the punch and die to any selected angular position about the punching axis. This feature requires novel keying structure and alignment tooling which is also provided herein.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide structure for accurately positioning non-circular tooling of a punching machine.

Many other advantages, features, and additional ob jects of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

On the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a punching machine provided in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged front elevational view of the punching machine of FIGURE 1 with certain parts removed therefrom;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view of the sub-table and die taken generally along line III--III of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a die and supporting structure therefor taken generally along line IV-IV of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a punch and stripping assembly taken along line V -V of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged section view taken along the lines IV-IV and VV of FIGURE 1 with aligning tools substituted for the punch and die means;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary top view of the structure shown in FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a cross-sectional view of a punch and die mechanism, the die being supported by an adaptor on the structure shown in FIGURE 4, and the punch being supported on a tool support of a size smaller than described heretofore herein; and

FIGURE 9 is a cross-sectional view IX-IX of FIGURE 8.

As shown on the drawings:

The principles of this invention are particularly useful when embodied in a punching machine such as illustrated taken along line in FIGURE 1, generally indicated by the numeral 30. The machine 30 includes a rigid frame 31 of both hollow and C-shaped construction having an upper arm 31a and a lower arm 31b. The lower arm 31b is provided with a pair of bases 32, 32 which support the frame 31 on the floor. Also prominent in FIGURE 1 is a horizontal workpiece-supporting table 33. To the table 33 there is secured adjustable gaging means generally indicated at 34. Certain components of the devices are covered by an upper shroud 35 and a lower shroud 36, a control panel 37 being secured to the upper arm 31.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, there is shown a front elevational view of the structure of FIGURE 1 wherein the upper shroud 35, the control panel 37, the lower shroud 36, and the gaging 34 have been removed for clarity of illustration. On the lower arm 31b of the frame 31 there is provided a bed 38 on which tooling means such as the die 39 are supported. In alignment with the die 39, there is a punch and stripping assembly generally indicated at 40 which is supported by an upper tool support generally indicated at 41 which is secured to the frame 31 by a pair of clamping mechanisms generally indicated at 42 and 43. It will be noted that the upper tool support 41 comprises a generally U-shaped member or yoke having spaced arms 41a, 41b extending along opposite sides of the tool 40 supported on a bight 41c which connects the arms 41a and 41b.

Also disposed between the arms 41a: and 41b is a ram 44 which is reciprocably driven. A motor operates continuously through belts to drive a pulley-flywheel assembly 45 which includes an eccentric 46 which continually reciprocates a shaft 47. The continuously reciprocating shaft 47 is selectably connected to the ram 44 by an electrically actuated press clutch 48. The structural details of the clutch are shown in the co-pending application of Arthur K. Schott and Charles E. Wilson on a Press Clutch, U.S. Ser. No. 825,082, now US. Patent No. 2

The workpiece-supporting table 33 is supported on the frame 31 by structure shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, and is apertured so that the bed 38 which supports the die 39 is independent thereof.

Referring now to FIGURE 4, there is shown the structure by which the lower tool or die 39 is supported. The lower tool support or die support comprises components which are rigidly secured to the lower arm 31b of the frame 31. These include the bed generally indicated at 38 which includes a bed pad 69 welded to the frame 31. To the bed pad 69 there is secured a bed block 70, by a plurality of screws such as 71. The bed block 70 has an upwardly directed circular recess 72 in which is received a cylindrical member 73 which is secured to the bed block 70 by a plurality of screws such as 74. Within the cylindrical member 73, there is slidably supported and received a slidable element 75 which also rests at its lower end on the bed block 70 within the recess 72 as shown. The axial extent of the sliding element 75 is less than the axial extent of the cylindrical member 73 so that at their upper ends, they jointly define a nestlike tool receiving structure within which the die 39 is supported. To this end, the slidably mounted element or member 75 is normally stationary, but means are provided to selectively reciprocate it. To this end, there is provided a pin 76 which is guided in the bed 38 for reciprocation. A horizontal shaft 77 is rockably guided in the lower ann 31b of the frame 31, and at its inner end is provided with an eccentric or cam 82 by which the pin 76 is selectively reciprocated. To the outer end of the shaft 77 there is provided a handle 78, seen also in FIGURES l and 2, the shaft having an annular groove 79. A set screw 80 is received in the groove 79 to limit axial movement of the shaft 77. A stop pin 81 3 is carried by the shaft 77 in fixed alignment with the eccentric or cam end thereof 82 for abutting the set screw 80 at such an angular position that the eccentric 82 can never be positioned in dead center.

To retain the slidable element 75 within the cylindrical member 73, there is provided a set screw 83 and slot 84 in the members 73 and 75.

In this embodiment, additional structure has been provided to accommodate shaped dies or tools. The term shaped as used herein refers to dies having cutting apertures and punches having cutting edges cooperating therewith which are of noncircular cross-section.

As best seen in FIGURE 3, the die 39 has been provided with a shaped opening of oblong configuration. When a shaped punch and die are employed, it is imperative that structure be provided to prevent rotation of the die. As best seen in FIGURE 4, and to this end, there is provided in the bed block 70 a radically extending keyway 85 which communicates with the recess 72. Likewise, the cylindrical member 73 has been provided with a radially extending keyway 86 aligned with the keyway 85, the keyways 85 and 86 jointly receiving a key 87 secured therein by a screw 88. The fits between these components is snug so that any rotation of the cylindrical member 73 about its axis is precluded by the key 87 acting jointly with the keyways 85 and 86. Similarly, the upper end of the cylindrical member 73 has been provided with a radial keyway 89, and the tool or die 39 has been provided with a keyway 90 aligned therewith. Within these keyways, there is received a key 91 which precludes any angular movement of the die 39 about the axis of the cylindrical member 73. A second keyway 92 may be provided in the tool or die 39 at a position spaced ninety degrees from the keyway 90 to permit positioning the shaped opening thereof in a position spaced angularly ninety degrees from that illustrated. Each of the keyways 90 and 92 extends in a direction parallel to the axis of the cylindrical member 73 throughout the length of the die 39, and the slidable pin 76 is receivable into the keyway 86, so that the provision of the keying structure does not in any way interfere with the die lifting mechanism.

In addition to these two preselected angular positions of the die 39, there is provided structure by which the die 39 may be keyed into any angular position. To this end, there is provided in the lower tool support, and more specifically in the cylindrical member 73, an upwardly directed recess 93 within which there is disposed an annular member or ring 94 to one side of which the key 91 is secured. When the ring 94 is inverted from the position shown, it will be apparent that the key 91 will still register with the keyway 90, but will not extend into the keyway 89. Thus when the annular member 94 is so inverted, the die 39 and the annular member 94 with its key 91 may rotate about the axis of the cylindrical member 73 to any selected position, and be there jointly locked by locking means comprising a series of screws 95. It is also to be noticed that when the die or tool 39 is so located, the die lifting mechanism still operates the same. Thus variously shaped punching means may be disposed and supported in a manner wherein each may be freely removed vertically for replacement with a tool of a different size or shape. Since the gaging structure is carried by the table 33 which is secured to the frame 31, and since the die 39 is thus also secured through the structure of FIGURE 4 to the frame 31, it is apparent that the infinitely adjustable keying structure will lock a shaped die into a selected angular relationship with respect to the gaging structure 34. In FIGURE 3, the ring and key assembly 94, 91 has been shown in the inverted position which permits such universal keying.

In order for a shaped die to be adjustable about a vertical axis, it is necessary that the punch which is to cooperate therewith also be adjustable about the same axis. To this end, there is shown in FIGURE a cooperating structure by which the punch and stripping assembly may be positioned at any selected angle about a vertical axis. The bight portion 410 of the upper tool support 41 has been provided with an upwardly directed recess 96 within which there is disposed a flange or ring portion of an annular member 97. Lock means comprising a group of screws 98 acts between the upper tool support 41 and the annular member 97 to lock the same in any selected angular position, thereby rendering the annular member 97 non-rotatable. A punch and guide assembly generally indicated at 99 is provided with keying presently to be described which corresponds in angular position to the keyways and 92 in the die 39 by which the punch and stripping assembly 99 is always angularly fixed with respect to the annular member 97 The punching and stripping assembly 99 includes a sleeve 100 which is vertically slidably received in the annular member 97. Within the sleeve 100, there is disposed a cylindrical punch driver 101 which is slidable within the hollow sleeve 100. At its lower end, the punch driver 101 has a concentric recess 102 which forms a part of its lower face and which has an axial opening 103 of smaller diameter than the diameter of the recess 102 whereby a shoulder 104 is defined which is directed down wardly or toward the die. A series of stripping springs 105 acts between the upper end of the sleeve 100 and a ring 106 which encircles the upper end of the punch driver 101 and which engages, with the punch driver 101, the lower surface of a punch head 107. The springs 105 urge the ring 106 against the head 107 and screws 108 retain the stripping spring 105 in the assembly. As such, the stripping springs 105 act between the punch driver 101 and the sleeve 100. There is also provided a punch bit 109 having a lower end 109a of a cross-section corresponding to that of the die 39, and an upper threaded end 10% received in the recess 102 in abutting relation with the shoulder 104, the shoulder 104 being a part of the lower face of the punch driver 101. Screw means 110 extend axially through the driver head 107 and driver 101 into threaded engagement with the upper end 10% of the punch bit 109, so that these components move as a unit. The annular member 97 is provided with an elongated keyway 111, and the punch driver is provided with an elongated keyway 112 which confront each other in spaced relation to each other with the sleeve 100 disposed therebetween. It is apparent that during operation, the annular member 97, being locked, is in effect a rigid part of the upper tool support 41. A key 113' is rigidly secured in a radial aperture in the sleeve 100 and has ends which project radially therethrough and into the keyways 111, 112 with a close sliding fit. The punch driver 101 is thereby annularly keyed to the tool support 41. The punch driver 101 is provided with an additional keyway 114 which extends horizontally across the lower face of the punch driver and is aligned with a horizontally opening keyway 115 in the upper end 10911 of the punch bit 109. An additional key 116 is removably secured as by a screw to the punch driver 101 and is disposed in the keyways 114, 115 to angularly lock the position of the punch bit 109 with respect to the punch driver 101, thereby maintaining the angular relation of the punch as determined by the setting of the annular member 97. A series of lifting springs 117 acts between the annular portion 97 of the upper tool support 41 and the punch and stripping assembly 99 to bias the assembly as a unit away from the die. If desired, a stripping plate 118 may be employed in the lower end of the stripping sleeve 100 and held therein by a spring clip 119 as shown. If such a stripping plate be employed, it is provided with an aperture closely corresponding in size and configuration to the punch bit 109 so as to engage the workpiece immediately adjacent to the peripheral edge thereof. It is thus apparent that the upper tool support is likewise adapted to support selectively-replaceable relatively-reciprocable tool means for cooperation with the tool means supported on the lower die support.

Where the punch bit 109 and the die 39 have shaped configurations, not only must the one be aligned and locked with the other to achieve interfitting, but the relative angular alignment must be made to a comparatively high degree of accuracy so that the peripheral clearance surrounding the punch bit 109 will be substantially uniform. To achieve this result, the die 39 and the punch and stripping assembly 99 are respectively slidably removed and replaced with a lower aligning tool 120 and an upper aligning tool 121 shown in FIGURE 6. The lower aligning tool 120 has an external configuration corresponding to the die 39 including a keyway 90a extending in a direction parallel to the axis of the slidable ele ment 75, and corresponding to the keyway 90 in the die 39. The keyway 90a receives the key 91 carried by the annular member 94.

Similarly, the upper aligning tool 121 is provided with and supports a key 113a corresponding to the key 113 in the punch and stripping assembly 99, the key 113a being slidably received in the keyway 111 in the annular member 97. The lower aligning tool 120 is provided with a pair of upwardly extending alignment pins 122, and the lower edge or face of the alignment tool 121 is provided with slightly tapered grooves or recesses 123, 123 which receive the alignment pins 122.

Preferably the outside diameter of each of the alignment tools 120, 121 is made a few thousandths of an inch larger than the corresponding punch and die means, and the keyway 90a and key 113a likewise are sized to substantially eliminate freedom of lateral and angular mov ment. Owing to a wedging relation between the alignment pins 122 and mating grooves or slots 123, coupled with the substantial elimination of clearances, the alignment tools 120, and 121, when mated, comprise a rigid unit which is made to such precision that when the annular members 94 and 97 are positioned thereby and locked, any punch and die means inserted thereafter will cooperate with each other with a substantially uniform distribution of punch clearance about its periphery. It is thus apparent that the aligning tools are respectively received by the annular members and keyed by the corresponding keying structures, and are provided with interfitting structure directed toward the other for strict corotation, where- 'by alignment of the keying structures may be made accurately with respect to each other and locked.

Referring to FIGURE 7, it will be noted that the bight portion 41c of the upper tool support has been provided with indices such as 124, and that the upper face of the annular member 97 has been provided with mating indices such as 125 to cooperate therewith for indicating the relative angular position of the annular members with res ect to the punching machine and workpiece support table. In this illustration, the indices are arranged in a vernier manner.

There is provided additional structure such as shown in FIGURES 8 and 9 which is particularly adapted to use smaller sized punches. This structure includes an additional upper tool support 132 having arms 132a and 132k extending upwardly on opposite sides of the ram 48, and having a bight portion 1320 which receives and slidably supports a punch and stripper assembly 133. To this end, the upper tool support 132 is provided with an upwardly opening recess 134 in which there is disposed an annular member 135 which is rotatable about its axis to any selected angular position. Locking screws 136a are provided in the bight portion 1320 to lock the position of the annular member 135. In the annular member 135 there is provided a vertically extending keyway 136 which receives a key 137 rigidly secured to a punch 138. The punching and stripping assembly 133 includes the punch 138 which is slidably supported at an enlarged central portion by the inner surface of a sleeve 139 which is slidably guided at its outer surface by the inner surface of the annular member 135. The punch 138 has a lower end portion 138a of oval configuration, and a threaded stem portion 139 surmounted by a punch head 140 secured thereto and locked thereto by a set screw 141. The upper end of the sleeve 139 is provided with a downwardly directed shoulder 139a, and a spacer 142 rests on the upper end of the sleeve 139. A pair of stripping springs 143, 144 acts between the punch head 140 and the spacer 142 to retract the punch 138 from the workpiece into the sleeve 139. In this structure, there is also provided an apertured lifting plate 145 which receives the sleeve 139, the upper surface of the lifting plate 145 engaging the shoulder 139a at a point remote from the lower end of the sleeve. Lifting spring means 146 act between the lifting plate 145 and the upper tool support 132 at a point adjacent to the recess 134. A pair of preloading and guiding screws 147, 147 serve to keep the plate 145 from rotating. The punching and stripping assembly 133 together with the annular member 135 is rotatable as a unit with respect to the lifting plate 145 to any selected angular position. The upper surface of the annular member 135 is also provided with a set of indices 148 for indicating the angular position. These are shown in FIGURE 9. The annular member 135 is provided with two of the vertically extending keyways 136 so that the key 137 may be received in either of two angularly spaced positions for each locked position of the member 135.

The small dies may also be employed with relatively smaller punches by placing an adapter ring 149 in the nest defined by the cylindrical member 73 and slidable element 75. The outer periphery of the adapter member 149 is substantially similar to that of the die 39, and is provided with a vertically extending keyway 90b in which the key 91 is received. Thus the adapter ring may be locked in a fixed preselected position when the annular member 94 has its key 91 directed downwardly as shown in FIGURE 4, or the adapter ring may be set to any selected angular position and locked, when arranged as shown in FIGURE 8. The adapter ring 149 is provided with a die seat 149a in which a slidably removable die 150 is received. The die 150 has an oval aperture corresponding to the lower end 138a of the punch 138. The die 150 is provided with a radially extending key 151 which is received within a keyway 152 in the die adapter 149. A second keyway 153 is also provided in the die adapter. The keyways 152 and 153 angularly correspond to the keyways 136, 136 for the punch key 137. Since the aperture in the workpiece supporting table 33 is relatively large compared to the size of the aperture in the die 150, there is also provided a filler plate 154, shown resting on the adapter 149, the filler plate 154 jointly with the table 133 and the die 150 providing a substantially smooth support surface for the workpiece.

In order to angularly align the punching and stripping assembly 133 with the die 150, alignment tools such as shown in FIGURE 6, but of proportionately smaller size, are employed. Thus an upper aligning tool replaces the punch and stripping assembly 133 and employs identical interfitting structure carried by a lower alignment tool which replaces the die 150. Thus again, the annular members 135 and 94 may be rotated to a selected position and locked.

Although various minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that we Wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such embodiments as reasonably and properly come within the scope of our contribution to the art.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a punching device having an apertured frame, the improvement of a pair of rotatable concentric annular members supported by said frame in vertically fixed spaced relation to each other and adapted to corotatably angularly align and support separate relatively reciprocable punch and die means, and selectively effective locking means for each of said annular members, said locking means being operative to lock said annular mem- J bers with respect to the frame in any one of an infinite number of selected rotational positions.

2. A punching machine comprising in combination: a rigid frame; a pair of lockable support structures supported by said frame in vertically fixed spaced relation to each other, and respectively adapted to support separate relatively reciprocable cooperating tools of non-circular effective cross-section, said support structures being angularly adjustable about a common axis for angularly aligning and locking the tools in any one of an infinite number of selected angular positions about said axis in angular alignment with each other.

3. A punching machine comprising in combination: a rigid frame having an upper and a lower tool support secured to said frame in fixed positions, each of said tool supports having an upwardly opening recess; a pair of annular members respectively disposed in said recesses in vertically fixed positions and rotatable about a common axis, said annular members being adapted to receive relatively reciprocable cooperating tools comprising punch and die members of shaped cross section, said annular members each having keying structure adapted to effect corotation with the corresponding tool; and locking means for each of said annular members, said means being operative to lock the same in any one of an infinite number of selected rotational positions.

4. A punching machine comprising in combination: a rigid frame having an upper and a lower tool support secured to said frame, each of said tool supports having an upwardly opening recess; a pair of annular members respectively disposed in said recesses and rotatable about a common axis, said annular members being adapted to receive relatively reciprocable cooperating tools comprising punch and die members of shaped cross section, said annular members each having keying structure adapted to effect corotation with the corresponding tool; locking means for each of said annular members, operative to lock the same in any one of an infinite number of selected rotational positions; the keying structure of one of said annular members including a key portion extending upwardly therefrom, said one of said annular members being invertible; the corresponding tool support having an upwardly directed keyway disposed at a fixed position for receiving said key portion when its annular member is inverted to preclude any other angular positioning thereof.

5. A punching machine comprising in combination: a rigid frame having an upper tool support and a lower tool support; each of said tool supports having an upwardly opening recess; a pair of annular members respectively disposed in said recesses in vertically fixed positions and rotatable about a common axis, said annular members being adapted to receive relatively reciprocable cooperating tools comprising punch and die members of shaped cross section, said annular members each having keying structure adapted to efiect corotation with the corresponding tool; aligning means received by said annular members and adapted to be angularly keyed by said keying structure thereof; and locking means for each of said annular members, said locking means being operative to lock the same in any one of an infinite number of selected rotational positions, whereby said keying structures of said rotatable annular members are accurately aligned and locked with respect to each other.

6. A punching machine comprising in combination: a rigid frame having an upper tool support and a lower tool support, each of said tool supports having an upwardly opening recess; a pair of annular members respectively disposed in said recesses and rotatable about a common axis, said annular members being adapted to receive relatively reciprocable cooperating tools comprising punch and die members of shaped cross section, said annular members each having keying structure adapted to effect corotation with the corresponding tool; an upper and a lower aligning tool'respectively received by said annular members and each adapted to be angularly keyed 0 by said keying structure thereof; said aligning tools each having interfitting structure directed toward the other for effecting strict corotation between said tools; and locking means for each of said annular members, said locking means being operative to lock the same in any one of an infinite number of selected rotational positions, whereby said keying structures of said rotatable annular members are accurately aligned and locked with respect to each other.

7. A punching machine comprising in combination: a frame having a bed; a movable ram carried by said frame and adapted to be selectively moved toward and from said bed; a horizontally directed table secured to said frame and disposed to directly support a workpiece beneath said ram; adjustable gaging means secured to said table and having a reference surface for abutting engagement by an edge of the workpiece; an upper and a lower tool support secured in fixed position to said frame, each of said tool supports having an upwardly opening recess; a pair of annular members respectively dis osed in said recesses and supported by said frame in vertically fixed spaced relation to each other and rotatable about a common axis, said annular members being adapted to receive relatively reciprocable separate cooperating tools comprising punch and die members of shaped cross section, said annular members each having keying structure adapted to effect corotation with the corresponding tool; and locking means for each of said annular members, said locking means operative to lock the same in any one of an infinite number of selected rotational positions, for thereby maintaining any selected angular relation between the cross sectional configuration of the tools and said reference surface.

8. A punching machine comprising in combination: a rigid frame having an upper tool support and a lower tool support secured to said frame; a die member of shaped cross-section supported in a selectable infinitely adjustable angular position on said lower tool support; said upper tool support having an upwardly opening recess; an annular member disposed in said recess and rotatable to an infinite number of angular positions about an axis common with that of said die; a punching and stripping assembly slidably received in said annular member for reciprocating as a unit, including a stripping sleeve having a downwardly directed peripheral shoulder remote from its lower end, a punch of shaped cross-section, and keying means for effecting corotation between said punch and said annular member; a lifting plate having an aperture receiving said stripping sleeve, and an upper surface in lifting engagement with said sleeve shoulder, said punching and stripping assembly and said annular member being rotatable as a unit with respect to said lifting plate; lifting spring means acting between said lifting plate and said upper tool support at a point adjacent to said recess; and means on said tool support locking said annular member in any one of an infinite number of selected rotational positions with said punch in alignment with said die.

9. A punching machine as claimed in claim 3 which includes an upper tool having a stripping sleeve slidable in said upper annular member, a cylindrical punch driver directly slidably mounted in said sleeve, and having a concentric recess at its lower end, said driver having an axial opening therethrough smaller than said concentric recess, a stripping spring acting between said punch driver and said sleeve, a separate punch bit having a threaded end of reduced cross-sectional size received in said concentric recess, said punch bit being disposed against a lower face of said punch driver, and means extending axially through said punch driver and having threaded engagement with said punch bit.

10. A punching machine as claimed in claim 3 which includes an upper tool having a stripping sleeve slidable in said upper annular member, a punch driver slidably disposed in said sleeve, and a separate punch bit secured to said punch driver, said keying structure including aligned confronting vertically elongated keyways in said upper annular member and in said punch driver spaced apart by said sleeve, 21 first key rigidly secured in said sleeve and having ends projecting radially thereof into said confronting keyways in sliding relation thereto, said punch driver and said punch bit having aligned horizontally directed keyways, and a second key removably secured to said punch driver and disposed in said horizontally directed keyways, whereby said punch bit is maintained in adjustable angular alignment with the lower tool.

11. A punching machine comprising in combination: a frame having a bed; a movable ram carried by said frame and adapted to be selectively moved toward and from said bed; a tool support having a pair of manually detachable non-concentric pivotal connections with said frame; a die member of shaped cross section supported in a selectable infinitely adjustable angular position on said bed; said tool support slidably receiving beneath said ram a punching and stripping assembly having a punch cross section corresponding to that of said die; and angularly infinitely adjustable keying means acting between said tool support and said assembly for locking said assembly in any one of an infinite number of selected angular positions in alignment with said die; each of said connections being constructed, when only the other of said connections is disengaged, to pivotally support said tool support on said frame to enable free pivoting of said tool support to a position where said punch and die are out of alignment; and each of said connections being constructed in response to both being re-engaged jointly to comprise the means by which said adjustable keying means is precisely returned to its previous position without disturbing the setting thereof to re-establish said punch and die alignment.

12. A punching machine comprising in combination: a rigid frame having a pair of spaced coaxial apertures; a pair of rotatable concentric annular members respectively received in said apertures and supported by said frame in vertically 'fixed spaced relation to each other, said members being respectively receptive of a pair of relatively reciprocable separate cooperating tools of non-circular effective cross section for supporting said tools, said members being angularly adjustable about a common axis for aligning said tools about said axis in alignment with each other; and selectably effective locking means for each of said annular members, said locking means being operative to look said annular members with respect to said rigid frame in any one of an infinite number of selected rotational positions.

13. A punching machine comprising in combination:

(a) a rigid frame having a pair of coaxial apertures disposed in fixed spaced relation to each other;

(b) a pair of relatively reciprocable separate cooperating tools of non-circular effective cross-section, one of said tools comprising a member fixedly supported in any one of an infinite number of selectable rotational positions in one of said apertures;

(c) a rotatable concentric annular member fixedly supported in any one of an infinite number of selectable rotational positions in the other of said apertures, and corotatably supporting the other of said tools for reciprocation therein; and

(d) selectably effective locking means for each of said members, said locking means being operative to lock said members with respect to said frame in any one of said infinite number of selectable rotational positions.

14. A punching machine comprising in combination:

(a) a rigid frame having a pair of coaxial apertures disposed in fixed spaced relation to each other;

(b) a die member of shaped cross-section fixedly supported in any one of an infinite number of selectable rotational positions in one of said apertures;

(c) a rotatable concentric annular member fixedly supported in any one of an infiinite number of selectable rotational positions in the other of said apertures;

(d) a punch of shaped cross-section coactive with said die member and reciprocably corotatably supported in said annular member; and

(e) selectably effective locking means for each of said members, said locking means being operative to lock said members with respect to said frame in any one of said infinite number of selectable rotational positions.

15. A punching machine comprising in combination:

(a) a rigid frame having a pair of coaxial apertures disposed in fixed vertically spaced relation to each other;

(b) a die member of shaped cross-section fixedly supported in any one of an infinite number of selectable rotational positions in the lower of said apertu-res;

(c) a rotatable concentric annular member fixedly sup ported in any one of an infinite number of selectable rotational positions in the upper of said apertures;

(d) a punch of shaped cross-section coactive with said die member and reciprocably corotatably supported in said annular member; and

(e) selectably effective locking means for each of said members, said locking means being operative to lock said members with respect to said frame in any one of said infinite number of selectable rotational positions.

16. A punching machine comprising in combination:

(a) a rigid frame having a pair of coaxial apertures disposed in fixed spaced relation to each other;

(b) a pair of relatively reciprocable separate cooperating tools of non-circular effective cross-section, one of said tools comprising a member fixedly supported in any one of an infinite number of selectable rotational positions in one of said apertures;

(c) a rotatable concentric annular member fixedly supported in any one of an infinite number of selectable rotational positions in the other of said apertures, and supporting the other of said tools for reciprocation therein;

(d) keying structure coactive between said annular member and said other of said tools to effect corotation therebetween; and

(e) selectably effective locking means for each of said member, said locking means being operative to lock said members with respect to said frame in any one of said infinite number of selectable rotational positions.

17. A punching machine comprising in combination:

(a) a rigid frame having a pair of coaxial apertures disposed in fixed spaced relation to each other;

(b) a pair of relatively reciprocable separate cooperating tools of non-circular effective cross-section; and

(c) means normally fixedly secured to said frame and supporting said tools in said apertures for relative reciprocation, said means enabling adjustment of said tools about the axis of said apertures to any one of an infinite number of fixed selectable rotational positions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 751,723 2/1904 Doolittle 83-559 1,384,696 7/1921 Gray 83-140 2,882,971 4/1959 Bennett et al. 83-140 3,086,419 4/1963 Pox 83-699 3,190,165 6/11965 Schott 83-685 FOREIGN PATENTS 848,594 9/ 1952 Germany.

ANDREW R. JUHASZ, Primary Examiner.

L. TAYLOR, Assistant Examiner. 

8. A PUNCHING MACHINE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A RIGID FRAME HAVING AN UPPER TOOL SUPPORT AND A LOWER TOOL SUPPORT SECURED TO SAID FRAME; A DIE MEMBER OF SHAPED CROSS-SECTION SUPPORTED IN A SELECTABLE INFINITELY ADJUSTABLE ANGULAR POSITION ON SAID LOWER TOOL SUPPORT; SAID UPPER TOOL SUPPORT HAVING AN UPWARDLY OPENING RECESS; AN ANNULAR MEMBER DISPOSED IN SAID RECESS AND ROTATABLE TO AN INFINITE NUMBER OF ANGULAR POSITIONS ABOUT AN AXIS COMMON WITH THAT OF SAID DIE; A PUNCHING AND STRIPPING ASSEMBLY SLIDABLY RECEIVED IN SAID ANNULAR MEMBER FOR RECIPROCATING AS A UNIT, INCLUDING A STRIPPING SLEEVE HAVING A DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED PERIPHERAL SHOULDER REMOTE FROM ITS LOWER END, A PUNCH OF SHAPED CROSS-SECTION, AND KEYING MEANS FOR EFFECTING COROTATION BETWEEN SAID PUNCH AND SAID ANNULAR MEMBER; A LIFTING PLATE HAVING AN APERTURE RECEIVING SAID STRIPPING SLEEVE, AND AN UPPER SURFACE IN LIFTING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SLEEVE SHOULDER, SAID PUNCHING AND STRIPING ASSEMBLY AND SAID ANNULAR MEMBER BEING ROTATABLE AS A UNIT WITH RESPECT TO SAID LIFTING PLATE; LIFTING SPRING MEANS ACTING BETWEEN SAID LIFTING PLATE AND SAID UPPER TOOL SUPPORT AT A POINT ADJACENT TO SAID RECESS; AND MEANS ON SAID TOOL SUPPORT LOCKING SAID ANNULAR MEMBER IN ANY ONE OF AN INFINITE NUMBER OF SELECTED ROTATIONAL POSITIONS WITH SAID PUNCH IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID DIE. 